Spokane, WA – For three straight weeks the Arizona Rattlers (3-1) have handed their opponent its first loss of the season but they were unable to make it four in a row as they fell to the Spokane Shock (4-0) 66-49 in a tough West Division battle at Veteran’s Arena Friday night in front of a sold out crowd of 10,358.

Shock QB Erik Meyer continued his stellar play completing 27-of-43 passes for 351 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. He has yet to thrown an interception this season and it was the first game that the Arizona defense hasn’t recorded at least one take away. Arizona QB Nick Davila was 18-for-33 for 135 yards, five TDs and one interception, averaging 18.9 yards per pass.

The two teams matched each other score for score throughout the first half going into the break tied at 28. The Shock became the first team this season to outscore the Rattlers in the second half, which Arizona has dominated. Coming into the game the Rattlers had outscored their opponent 99-60 in the second half, 47-14 in the third quarter alone.

Spokane was charged with two penalties in the first four minutes of the game setting up a 14 yard pass from QB Nick Davila to WR Rod Windsor that gave the Rattlers the early lead. But it took Shock QB Erik Meyer just two plays and less than a minute to knot the game at 7-7. Davila and Windsor connected again on a 35 yard pass to regain the lead. Meyer took matters into his own hands as he found a gap and rushed it in for his third rushing TD of the year to even it up 14-14 with just over a minute to play in the quarter.

Davila opened the second quarter with a 17 yards rush of his own to put Arizona on the three yard line. The Rattlers tried to rush it in but fumbled it in the end zone. Michael Huey recovered for his first score of the year. They would continue to trade touchdowns, with the Shock taking their first lead of the game at the 6:59 mark. Arizona couldn’t put anything together on the next drive and found themselves on 4th down in the back of the end zone, but Davila completed a 49 yard pass to a wide open Kerry Reed to make it 28-28 with 3:27 left. A solid defensive showing stopped Spokane’s efforts sending the teams into the locker room tied 28-28 at the half.

A seven play drive to start the second half ended with the Shock in the end zone. The Rattlers got the ball back and quickly got it down field as Perry caught a 37-yard pass just shy of the goal line. Armstrong rushed it in on the next play, his fifth of the season, to make it 35-35.

Perry recorded his first touchdown of the game just over a minute into the fourth quarter. Lindholm’s sixth good extra point would again tie it at 42-42. After Meyer and Tennell hooked up again, Davila found Windsor, who would break a tackle and record his third touchdown of the game, making it 49-49 with 8:50 to play.

A one-handed snag by Tennell in the back corner of the end zone put the Shock back on top and tallied Meyer’s 30 TD pass of the season. A turnover on downs gave Spokane back the ball and led to a field goal to put the Shock up by double digits at 59-49. The Rattlers pushed down field but Davila was intercepted by Beau Bell to give Spokane back the ball. Meyer would find Tennell for the 4th time to seal the victory for the Shock.

The Rattlers return home next week to take on the San Antonio Talons on Saturday, April 20th at the US Airways Center.

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About the Arizona Rattlers

The Arizona Rattlers are the 2012 ArenaBowl XXV World Champions and are proud members of the Arena Football League (AFL). ArenaBowl XXV marked the Rattlers seventh appearance in the AFL Championship Game where they have earned Arena Bowl titles in 1994, 1997 and 2012.